Yes. The voice cast of the English version
includes Billy Crudup as Ashitaka, Claire Danes as San, Gillian
Anderson as Moro, Minnie Driver as Eboshi, Billy Bob Thornton as
Jiko Bou (he is called Jigo in the dub), Jada Pinkett-Smith as
Toki, and Keith David as Okkoto.

Neil Gaiman, writer of such
works as "The Sandman", worked on the English script
of Mononoke Hime. He did not "rewrite" the script. He
just made the literal English translation of the script into
"lines that people can say". According to the news
release by Miramax, Gaiman stated, "I couldn't be more
excited to write this script," and "My goal is to
remain faithful to the story while providing a translation that a
non-Japanese audience will be able to follow. To that end, I've
been researching Japanese folklore." Read this
interview with Gaiman
for an in-depth look at the translation process.

The English dub has received mostly positive reviews.
(See reviews by critics and fans.)

The contract between Disney and Tokuma
states that Disney cannot make any changes to the film other than
dubbing it. Mr. Tokuma, the president of Tokuma Publishing, and
Mr. Suzuki, the producer at Ghibli, both have stated "There
will be no cuts," in various interviews. That did not
prevent Disney from asking (or pressuring) Tokuma to make some
cuts. However, Ghibli and Miyazaki said "no" to such
suggestions.

It's "big" in several senses.
With a 2.4 billion yen (about $20 million) production cost,
"Mononoke Hime" is the most expensive animated movie
ever made in Japan ("Akira" cost about 1 billion yen).
It's about 133 minutes long, and uses some 144,000 cels.
("Laputa" was 124 minutes and "Pom Poko" used
about 82,000 cels). It earned more than 18.65 billion yen in
Japan, with more than 13.53 million attendance. It became the
No.1 movie of all time in Japan, beating the record held by
"E.T." for 15 years (the Mononoke Hime's record has
been then broken by "Titanic").
It was also the all-time best selling video in
Japan, selling more than 4 million copies, until the record was
broken by "Titanic" (the previous video sales record
was held by "Aladdin", which sold about 2.2 million
copies in Japan).

Yes. Ghibli bought several Silicon Graphics
workstations and set up the CG division since "Mononoke
Hime" uses CG extensively, in more than 100 cuts.

Computers were used in three ways: Digital
painting, Digital composition, and Computer generated images.
About 15 minutes worth of CG were used in Mononoke Hime, of
which, 10 minutes were for digital painting.

Hime means "Princess" in
Japanese. Ghibli has given Mononoke Hime the English title,
"Princess Mononoke". Mononoke Hime (or Princess
Mononoke) is what San, the heroine, is called by other people,
since she was raised by a mononoke and looks and acts like a
mononoke.

So, what is a mononoke? Good question. ^_^; It's a monster/ghost/spirit.

Mononoke means "The spirit of a
thing". Basically, the Japanese blame mononoke for every
unexplainable thing, from a major natural disaster to a minor
headache. A mononoke could be the spirit of an inanimate object,
such as a wheel, the spirit of a dead person, the spirit of a
live person, the spirit of an animal, goblins, monsters, or a
spirit of nature. Totoro is also a mononoke.

It takes place in the Muromachi Era
(1392-1573, or 1333-1467, depending on the scholar), around the
time of the War of Onin (1467-1477). Miyazaki chose this era
since the relationship between the Japanese and nature changed
greatly around that time. During the Muromachi Era, iron
production jumped, which required great numbers of trees to be
cut down (for charcoal), and people came to feel that they could
control nature. Also, it was the time before Japan as we know it
was formed. It was a confusing, yet lively era. Women had more
freedom, and a lot of new arts were born. The rigid class
structure of Samurai, farmers, and artisans was yet to be
established. Miyazaki sees similarities between the Muromachi era
and the current era, which is going through various changes and
confusion.

It is called Ishibiya (Stone
Fire Arrow). Ishibiya is old Japanese for "hand
cannon". Firearms were first introduced to Japan by the
Portuguese in 1543. However, fireworks came from China prior to
that, and there are some speculations that hand cannons were
imported from China before 1543.

The Ishibiya are manufactured at Tataraba
(the iron making encampment) by Lady Eboshi's men. People fight
against Mononoke Hime and the Animal Gods using Ishibiya.

Kodama means "echo"
(its literal meaning is a "tree spirit"). However,
since its name is written in Katakana, not in Kanji, it could
also mean "small ball" or "small spirit".
They (there are many, in various sizes and shapes) are a kind of
spirit who live in the forest. Although Kodama (a tree spirit)
appears in many Japanese folktales, Kodama as a little white
creature is Miyazaki's creation.

The Emishi were "barbarians" who
lived in the northeast region of Honshuu (the main island of
Japan). Ashitaka, the hero, is a descendant of the Emishi Royal
family. The Emishi kept their independence from the Yamato regime
(the Japanese Emperor's government) for a long time, but were
finally defeated by the first Shogun at the end of the 8th
century. Their culture did not survive, and very little is known
about them today. By the Muromachi era, when "Mononoke
Hime" takes place, they had long been assimilated into
Japanese society. Miyazaki used his creative freedom and made a
clan of Emishi survive in a hidden village in the Northern land.

(There are hot debates among scholars on if
and how Emishi and Ainu, the aboriginal people who live in the
northern island of Hokkaido today, are related. Some articles
mention that Ashitaka is an Ainu. However, Miyazaki takes the
stance that Emishi and Ainu are two different ethnic groups.)

"Tatara Ba" means "Iron
making place". In the English dub, is is translated as
"Iron Town."

A "Tatara" is a foot bellows
which was used to make iron, and it also came to mean a
particular process of iron making, and people who made iron using
that process. In the Tatara iron making process, iron sands and
charcoal are put in a furnace made of clay, and burned for
several days.

Then, the furnace is taken down to take an
iron ingot out. In this process, a great amount of charcoal is
needed to melt the iron sands, and therefore, trees are a very
important resource (sometimes more than iron sands) for the
Tatara people.

In "Mononoke Hime", the Tatara
people try to cut the forest down to keep their iron
manufacturing going, and the Gods who live in the forest fight
against them.

Iron signifies human
civilization. Weapons (war) and tools (agriculture) made of iron
are what made human civilization. Agricultural tools such as axes
and spades made it possible for humans to turn forests (nature)
into farmland (the human world). Agriculture made it possible to
support a higher population, and a higher population means more
forest being cut down. The fight between the Tatara people and
the Gods of the forest really signifies the (irresolvable)
conflicts between humans and nature.

He's called "Yakkul". That is
its own name, its species is called "Akashihi (Red Elk)".
It is a fictional animal Miyazaki created, based on a yak. A
similar animal appears in Miyazaki's manga, "The Journey of Shuna"

Ando is one of the young rising stars at
Ghibli. After joining Ghibli in 1990 and worked as an inbetweener
for "Only Yesterday" in 1991, he was quickly promoted
to a key animator for "Porco Rosso" (1992). He worked
as the supervising animator for "On Your Mark".

Another one of young talents at Ghibli,
Kosaka worked as the supervising animator for "Whisper of
the Heart".

A veteran animator, Kondo had worked as a
character designer and supervising animator for
"Grave of Fireflies", "Kiki's
Delivery Service", and "Only Yesterday". Sadly, he
passed away on January 21st, 1998.

The Image Album, Soundtrack Album, and
Symphonic Album are available today in Japan. Milan Records has
released the soundtrack and Symphonic albums in the US (reviews of the CDs).

Hisaishi also wrote the song "Mononoke
Hime" (lyrics by Miyazaki), which was used in the movie. It
was sung by MERA Yoshikazu, a Japanese countertenor (a male who
sings in a high range). The English version was sung by Sasha Lazard.

Hisaishi has received the "Japan
Record Award", a sort of Japanese Grammy, for his work in
Mononoke Hime.

Q: I heard that Miyazaki is retiring after Mononoke Hime. Is this true?

No, Miyazaki is not retiring.
He is going to make short films to be screened at the
"Ghibli Museum" in the Mitaka City Tokyo.
The films will be based on children's books. Ghibli's
younger staff members are supposed to make these films, and
production has started after they took a rest break following
the recent completion of My Neighbors the Yamadas.
Whether Miyazaki would "direct" these
films or not is still unclear, although he has written
storyboards for them.

At a press conference following the
completion of Mononoke Hime, Miyazaki did say
"I think that this (Mononoke Hime) will be the
last (feature-length) movie that I make in this way." You
have to understand what "this way" means.

Miyazaki is an animator, first and
foremost. He personally checks almost all the key animation, and
often redraws cels when he thinks they aren't good enough or
characters aren't "acting right." This isn't the
typical way in which a director works. (For example, Mamoru Oshii
doesn't even check key animation. He has a technical director to
do that. Takahata checks key animation, but he tells the key
animators to redraw the cels.) However, Miyazaki feels that this
is the only way for him to make the films he wants to make.

However, Miyazaki felt that he was getting
too old. He says that his eyes aren't as good as they used to be,
and his hands can no longer move so quickly. And he felt that
spending every day for more than two years working on Mononoke
Hime took too much out of him. Hence, he said that he
wouldn't direct a film in that way anymore. (He also said that
his career as an animator has ended.)

Of course, most journalists in Japan didn't
bother to check what he meant by "in this way," so they
just wrote big headlines like "Miyazaki announced
retirement!" Since then, this news has taken on its own
life.

Miyazaki also said that he is leaving
Ghibli to make way for young people. However, he also stated that
he "may assist in some capacity in the future," such as
producing and writing scripts. Sadly, judging from his
eulogy for Yoshifumi Kondo, it
seems that he was planning to write and produce another film for
Kondo to direct, as he did with
Whisper of the Heart.

Miyazaki formally quit Ghibli on January
14th, 1998. He built a new studio, "Butaya" (Pig
House), near Studio Ghibli as his "retirement place."
However, on January 16th, 1999, Miyazaki "formally
returned" to Studio Ghibli as Shocho (this title
means roughly "the head of office").

In 2001, Miyazaki completed
"Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi". At a press conference
held after the completion of the film, Miyazaki stated that "Sen" will be the
last feature-length film he'll direct. For additonal details on this "retirement", visit
the "Sen" FAQ.

Q: I heard that Miyazaki personally
drew 80,000 frames of the film. Is it true?

No. Miyazaki personally checked and
often redrew them, but he did not draw 80,000 frames.
Being an excellent animator himself, Miyazaki 's directing style
requires him to personally check drawings by other animators and
often redraw them to make them closer to his image. Of 144,000
cels of animation used in Mononoke Hime, about 80,000 were key
animation, and he supervised each of them. This is an enormous task,
and Miyazaki says that his eyes and hands no longer permit
him to work this way. This is why Miyazaki says that he would not
make a film in this style (personally checking each frame of
animation).

In the "Making of Mononoke Hime" video, you can see
Miyazaki checking and redrawing to make characters "act right".

Ashitaka, the protagonist, was
played by MATSUDA Youji, who
played Asbel in "Nausicaa". SHIMAMOTO Sumi, who played
Nausicaa, was also in the cast. This time, she played Toki, a
working married woman. Mononoke Hime was played by ISHIDA Yuriko.
She is a popular actress who appears in a lot of "trendy
drama", the fashionable shows on Japanese TV. She played the
part of Okiyo (Shokichi's girlfriend) in "Pom Poko".
Another familiar voice is that of KAMIJO Tsunehiko, who played
Gonza. He did the voice of the Mamma Aiuto Boss in "Porco
Rosso".

As in other Ghibli movies, the cast of
"Mononoke Hime" is filled with great movie and stage
actors, instead of Seiyuu (voice actors). Some of the very best
Japanese actors are in the cast. MORISHIGE Hisaya, whose
signature role is Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof",
played Okkotonushi, a 500 year old Boar God. Moro no Kimi, a 300
year old Wolf God was played by MIWA Akihiro. He is an actor very
well known for playing mysterious female roles. MISHIMA Yukio,
the famous Japanese novelist/playwright wrote several plays for
him. MORI Mitsuko, who is a sort of Angela Lansbury in Japan,
played Hii-Sama, the old medium of Ashitaka's village. Eboshi
Gozen (Lady Eboshi), the competent leader of the iron making
people, was played by TANAKA Yuuko, another popular actress (and
a very good one).

What you have heard about was
the old version of "Mononoke Hime". Originally,
Miyazaki had planned to make "Mononoke Hime" as a story
about a princess who was forced to marry a Mononoke by her feudal
lord father. You have probably seen a picture of Mononoke who
looks like Catbus in Totoro's body and a girl in a Kimono (see
the picture below). That is from a picturebook "Mononoke
Hime", which compiled image boards Miyazaki wrote back in
1980. Miyazaki tried to make it into anime, but the project never
materialized (it was even considered as the second project by
Tokuma after "Nausicaa", but eventually,
"Laputa" was chosen), and Miyazaki put it in the book.

The story of the movie "Mononoke Hime" is completely
different from that in the picturebook. Mononoke Hime is a girl
who was raised by Mononoke, not who marries one. There is a new
character, Ashitaka, as the hero. In fact, Miyazaki even wanted
to change the title to "Ashitaka Sekki (The Tale of
Ashitaka)".

Yes. This is not a movie for
small children, like "Totoro". Miyazaki puts the
targeted audience as "anyone older than 5th grade". The
movie trailer has several cuts which graphically depict scenes
where arms and heads of characters are cut off and fly. The movie
poster features Mononoke Hime with her face smeared with blood.
It has recieved PG-13 rating from MPAA.

There is a reason for violence in "Mononoke Hime". In
this movie, Miyazaki tackles the themes he covered in the manga
"Nausicaa": the meaning of living in the middle of
destruction and despair, and overcoming hatred and vengeance.
"Mononoke Hime" deals with the war between Gods and
Humans, and intense hatred between them. Miyazaki said that
"When there is a fight, some blood is inevitably spilled,
and we cannot avoid depicting it." In the project proposal,
he stated, "However, even in the middle of hatred and
killings, there are things worth living for. A wonderful meeting,
or a beautiful thing can exist. We depict hatred, but it is to
depict that there are more important things. We depict a curse,
to depict the joy of liberation."

Q: I heard that Madonna was going to sing a song for the English dub. Is it true?

No. The Japanese theme song, "Mononoke Hime," was translated into English
by Neil Gaiman, and was sung by
Sasha Lazard.

According to Tokuma International, Disney
was indeed considering to hire Madonna to sing a song for the
English dub, and might have contacted her. Apparently, she didn't
get the job (or declined the offer.)

Because "Mononoke Hime" is very
close to Nausicaa in terms of its genre (action adventure story)
and its theme (the relationship between humans and nature).

Miyazaki wasn't satisfied with the ending
of the movie "Nausicaa", which needed a miracle to
bring a happy ending to solve the conflict between humans and
nature. So he took another 10 years pursuing this issue (the
relationship between nature and man), writing the manga
"Nausicaa", which he finally concluded in 1994.
"Mononoke Hime" will be based on this conclusion:
"there is no happy ending to the fight between humans and
Raging Gods" (from the project proposal).